This invention relates to wound dressings and, more particularly, to a flexible wound dressing product containing a hydrogel substance. The wound dressing product contours to a wound site while maintaining the wound in a moist state.
Managing draining wounds such as decubitus ulcers has presented a difficult problem of treatment for the medical profession. The accumulation of wound exudate, such as blood, serum and purulent matter in the crevices of a wound can lead to bacterial growth which can delay healing of the wound. However, it has been difficult to maintain the wounds free of wound secretion to permit them to heal. Conversely, it is often desirable to allow a wound to heal in a slightly moist state as it is believed that this may accelerate healing.
Currently, there are wound exudate absorption compositions which are comprised of hydrogel materials in powder form. Generally, such dry, powdery hydrogel materials are introduced to an open, draining wound to absorb the exudate from the wound. One such commercially available method of treatment employing dry hydrogel material is the use of Dextranomer beads. Dextranomer beads are highly hydrophilic and comprise spherical beads which can be introduced to a wound site to absorb the wound exudate. A drawback of such hydrogel material is that the dry material can tend to clump and form lumps prior to and during introduction of the material to the wound site. The clumping or lumping can also occur after introduction of the material to the wound site and as it absorbs the wound exudate. The lumps or granules are difficult to apply evenly to the wound and, subsequently, are difficult to remove from the wound site without damaging the new tissue that forms at the wound site.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,232, issued to Spence on Oct. 7, 1980, teaches the blending of a hydrogel material with a liquid curing agent, such as a polyethylene glycol prior to introducing the gel-like or salve-like material to a wound. Again, there are drawbacks with such a system, as the system cannot be sterilized by irradiation due to the formation of free radicals within the gel material.
A need has arisen for a wound dressing which can provide a protective covering to the wound while being able to absorb the exudate from the wound. It would be desirable to have a wound dressing which could provide a protective pad over the wound to prevent debris and foreign matter from contaminating the wound and which could cushion the wound against pressure. It would be desirable to have a wound dressing which would not adhere to the new tissue forming in the wound or the exudate being released by the wound. It would be desirable to have a wound dressing which would be transparent to enable observation of the healing process of the wound, but which would shield the wound against bacteria to inhibit infection. It would also be desirable to have a wound dressing wherein through selecting a carrier film could either permit moisture so that the wound environment is stabilized with respect to moisture presence or occlude moisture transfer.
It would also be desirable to provide a wound dressing which could be precut, sterilized, and readily available for application to a draining wound. Such a wound dressing could be readily applied by an attendant without the need for mixing and applying a paste or gel to an open wound. Such a wound dressing system could save time and expense and insure a uniform, consistent coating. It would further be desirable to have such a wound dressing which could be radiation sterilized as current gas sterilization techniques are coming under more and more restrictions and closer scrutiny for environmental reasons.